Author: James Wesley Rawles

On this day in 1499, Switzerland became an independent state.  Here is a quote from a scholarly paper on the 1499 Swabian War: “At the end of the fifteenth century, Emperor Maximilian I of the Germany Empire was trying to unite his country. He also tried to force the Swiss Confederation to become closer members of the empire. This led to the Swabian War of 1499. In a series of battles and campaigns, the Swiss were successful in defeating the famous Swabian Landsknechte who had learned to fight in the Swiss manner. As an outcome of the war, the Swiss …

On September 21, 1931, Britain abandoned the gold standard. The Pound — henceforth a paper currency — was immediately devalued by 20%. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), A Peak …

On this day in 1873, triggered by a bond default and a bank scandal, a panic swept the New York Stock Exchange. This railroad bond default and resultant bank failure shut New York banks for 10 days. — On this day in 1519, Magellan left Europe on his voyage of discovery. — We’ve just started a 3-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until October 11th, 2024, all of our Pietta brand blackpowder revolvers and all of our M1891 Argentine Mauser rifles have their prices deeply discounted. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the …

On this day in 1796, George Washington‘s farewell address as US President was published. The full text of his speech is worthwhile reading. — On September 19th, 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States. While the budget may have passed, the states responded poorly to the call for taxes to fund the government, and the government resorted to printing paper money to cover debts. In effect, the first budget was a failure, due in large part to the states not responding to the demands of Congress and to the depreciation of fiat paper money. Are …

The Mukden False Flag Incident was orchestrated on September 18, 1931. To create a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria, China, a railway explosion was faked by the Japanese. — The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain. — We are now back at the ranch, so I’ve deactivated the “store vacation” mode, for Elk Creek Company.  I’m ready to take orders again.  Take a look at the dozens of antique guns and replica black powder guns that I’ve recently added to our inventory.  Thanks,  – JWR — SurvivalBlog Writing …